When Bonuses Become a Burden

Published on 11th March 2015 by Adam

When I first started gaming online, I never understood why things like Deposit Bonuses and Free Spins were optional- why wouldn’t someone want something extra for free- but as the years have gone by I’ve started to understand why bonuses are somewhat of a ‘love it or hate it’ kind of thing. The issue with any kind of bonus, whether it’s a Deposit Bonus, a Reload Bonus or Free Spins, is that it comes with conditions.

The Two Types of Deposit Bonuses

There are two ways that a casino can provide a Deposit or Reload Bonus; either they can let you play with your deposited funds first, or the bonus will begin right away.

So, say you have a 100% Deposit Bonus and you deposit €50. The casino will add the 100% bonus so your balance will be €100. But, remember that Deposit Bonuses almost always come with wagering requirements, which means you have to turn over the funds a certain amount of times before you can withdraw them. This can be from as little as x5 to as high as x60. That’s a lot of cash turnover.

What if you win?

Imagine, you’ve deposited €50, you’ve got €100 in the account, you do your first spin of €3 and instantly win €300. Now… can you withdraw that €300? After all, €50 out of your €100 balance is your own real cash, so should that first win be subject to huge wagering requirements?

Many casinos, such as MoonGames for example, want to please their players, so allow you to play with your real cash funds first. So any winnings you have, can be instantly withdrawn (so long as you verify your account etc), with no wagering requirements to worry about. Once you’ve spun through your deposit amount (and any winnings gained from that deposit) only then will the bonus cash begin and only winnings from that will be subject to the wagering.

Other casinos, such as Lucky Dino, turn all the funds into bonus cash the second you place your first bet. This means you effectively lose your deposit, as it becomes subject to the wagering requirements of the bonus. In this situation, you have a significantly reduced chance of winning, as every penny will be subject to wagering requirements, which can be tough to meet without losing all your balance.

Is it fair?

In my opinion, if the casino instantly merges your actual cash deposit into the bonus balance, it’s hugely unfair. I understand why they have to have wagering requirements- they’re effectively giving players real cash and when slot machines have payout ratios of 95+%, it would be impossible for casinos to afford to give you a cash bonus without any conditions. However, bonus or no bonus, the fact remains that part of that balance is your own money, from your own bank account/card/e-wallet and should not be subject to any wagering requirements or any other terms which make it impossible for you to win.

What Should You Do?

For this reason, there are plenty of casino players who simply opt not to bother with bonuses. They’re happy to forfeit extra bonus funds and Free Spins in order to avoid complicated and annoying wagering requirements, meaning all their money is theirs with no worries. Either way, it’s totally up to the individual player and there is no right or wrong way to play, but be aware- some casinos will let you play and win with your deposit first, others will convert it straight into bonus money.

The Casino That’s Always Fair

There are many casinos who don’t try to mislead players and get their funds tied up in huge wagering requirements, but none are as fair and generous as Hello Casino. These guys have no wagering requirements on Free Spins, even if they’re No Deposit Free Spins, so winnings from those are always your own to play with or withdraw.

They also allow you to withdraw if you win with bonus cash- can you believe that? You will forfeit the rest of the bonus, but the winnings you hit whilst using it will be all yours, and not get tied up in wagering requirements that can never be met. No casino offers such generosity as Hello Casino, so if you’re a bonus lover, or someone who always avoids them due to their complicated terms, this is the casino you need to try next!